Justifying it as "I just took a switch to my boy, that's what we do in our community" is like saying "I just spanked my boy, that's what my parents did with me" when your kid ends up with a lacerated liver and broken arm. Not all cases are the same.
He clearly went way the F over the deep end into hard-core abuse territory. He didn't just give him a couple of swats with a switch. A ridiculously strong guy that could beat the **** out of anyone on this forum went to town with dozens of blood-drawing hits with a stick on his son, who was just four. Whatever his intent was, something was wrong in his head. My kid is six, and I can't imagine going to town on her like that now, much less when she was four. He seriously either has a totally distorted sense of right and wrong and justice, or anger management issues, or something.
Even if his kid is a stubborn little brat, to AP I'd say "You're doing it wrong." And I'm not one of those judgmental parents. I pretty much don't care how you parent as long as you aren't abusing your kids. Free range, helicopter, whatever. Give them candy bars for dinner? F it I don't care I'm not gonna judge you b/c I know how hard it is to be a parent. I don't know your situation or what your kid is like or what happened to you today, so have at it. Do your thing. But I do draw the line at abuse. It's at that point that I'll be happy to judge you.
Is this relevant for football? Has he changed? That's for BB to decide. BB has a formula that works and I trust him to apply it.